Woohoo! Liftoff!

The figure abruptly plummeted from the lofty lotus dais and slammed into the hall floor!

In that split second, even Zhiqiu Yiye, who had shown no intention of speaking and had kept his ritual mirror, seal, and other implements poised between his fingers, flung out a flying sword with a wave!

Its sword light swelled in the wind, slashing down with a visibly keen edge that made their very eyes sting!

The two swordsmen beside him showed no mercy either, unleashing sword energy from start to finish in a relentless "carpet bombing"

of the ground below!

Only White Cloud Monk held back, golden light in his eyes as he stood ready to act, watching their surroundings intently.

Clearly, these righteous cultivators had discussed their approach beforehand. Whenever they attacked, they would always leave someone guarding the formation against a surprise assault.

"Excellent! What master could have pierced this golden manifestation of mine?"

Utterly unconcerned by the lethal attacks bearing down on him, Cihang Pudu slowly rose. As the hazy golden light around his body faded completely, he cast a searching look at the many otherworlders behind the cultivators.

Despite the many tears in his human shell, "Cihang Pudu" still wore a faint, compassionate smile on his gaunt face, as though that haunting expression had been carved into it with a knife!

Only a blazing halo of Buddhist light surrounded him, locking into a fierce struggle with the sword light and razor-sharp energy descending upon him.

"Everyone, don't waste words on this old demon! It's stalling for time, probably trying to conserve its strength for the most dangerous moment of the Heavenly Hound Devouring the Moon!"

Among the crowd, an elderly man in gray robes named Zhuge Wolong, sheltered behind Zhiqiu Yiye, seemed to have finally realized something and shouted out!